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Episode-1654- The Basics of Prepping for the Real World — 19 Comments

  1. Great episode. Perfect timing. A few friends are suddenly into prepping and this episode couldn’t have shown up in my podcast player at a better time to convey the proper prioritization of activities and acquisitions. Revisiting the basics is always welcome in my book.

  2. I like the much needed review. I started the gas can a month a few months ago and can use the generator parked in the driveway.
    Which episode has “the Pack”?

  3. RE: water storage….

    Might sound simple, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard that explanation of temperature and time required to pasteurize water. I’ve been buying heavy plastic gallons of water….why? Because I have well water, likely safe..but not quite the same as turning on a city faucet. And well, yes, bleach isn’t tasty.

    Light bulb moment….pasteurize the water….then bottle. 🙂 Or in my case, I have a store a few miles away that sells new, food safe barrels. Now I can not only store some in individual bottles and gallons, but also bulk.

    Thanks. These back to basics shows are really helpful. Every time you do them, there is also a slightly different tip or nuance from prior shows that is helpful.

  4. Was there a show where you specifically discussed your documentation list? Can you link that too?

  5. Time Scale for Episode 1654

    Sponsor 1: The Berkey Guy 2:30
    Sponsor 2: Western Botanicals 4:10

    Bob Wells Plant of the week 6:40

    Member Support Brigade 8:40

    The year that was the Episode: 9:55- The Forest in Flames

    The threat probability matrix – 13:40
    The disaster impact scale – 15:28
    The inverse ratio of impact and probability – 19:50
    Your 6 survival needs – 22:00
    Food – 24:30
    Journal your consumption
    Eat what you store, store what you eat
    Just get to 2 weeks, do it again, do that again = 60 days
    Become a producer
    Water – 31:40
    Soda bottles, Arizona Tea bottles etc
    Frozen water serves two purposes
    Learn to make water safe to drink (filter, boil, etc.)
    Consider rain catchment or locate local sources
    Shelter 45:13
    A place to go that you can count on
    A well thought out evacuation plan
    Tarps, tools, etc. to stay home if possible
    Get a good portable shelter and hope it is only for camping
    Security – 56:24
    Develop op sec and situational awareness
    Consider being armed
    Avoid the three S’s – Stupid Places, Things, People
    Accept both the good and bad realities about security
    Energy – 1:04:53
    Build a black out kit include rechargeable batteries
    Get a inverter, extension cord and splitters
    Generator or battery bank
    Store Fuel – 12 can rotation over time
    Health and Sanitation – 1:18:25
    Have a way to dispose of or deal with waste
    Keep a good medical kit on hand at all times
    Develop disaster time procedures and protocols
    Learn the most basic use of herbs and essential oils

    You just keep going from there – 1:23:05

    The other basics 1:23:30
    Cash – carry cash, have cash at home as well
    Insurance – keep it updated
    Bank Accounts – have two
    Documentation – build “the pack”
    Communications – weather radio/battery radio and TV antenna
    Cell Phone – battery packs
    72 hour Kit – skip the tactical shit, at first

    Final thought, if you won’t help yourself, why would anyone else – 1:34:43

  6. Super article. Perfect for sharing with a fewfamily members who think preppers are all nut cases getting ready for the zombies.

  7. Outstanding show Jack. Back to the basics, always something we can learn, some holes to patch. And of course, a good recent show to get people started.

  8. I wanted to add something that is super easy and can become a good habit. When leaving work, if I know bad weather is coming (especially ice N. TX) I make it a point to always top off my tank on the way home, my wife does as well. Nice piece of mind to drain one car, and leave truck full before touching my gas can reserves.

  9. Extended family member:

    He grew up very poor. Worked his way into a solidly upper middle class lifestyle. He was very proud.

    But he was also a little arrogant. He would still keep in contact with the people in the ‘bad’ neighborhood that he grew up in. He liked to show off his new status by having flashy parties and inviting his old friends, etc. He would subtly show off his wealth at these parties. Like how he would take a rolled up wad of cash out of his pocket and put it on the table in front of people while he fished around in his pocket for something else.

    A few weeks after one of these parties some of the party attendants broke into his house and killed him and his friend who was staying over. The attackers knew he was wealthy because he made it abundantly clear to anyone who would listen. And since they were at the party they knew where his video cameras were and just how to enter his house and disable them so they would never be caught on camera. They had a shoot-first approach to the break-in. This meant the two occupants of the house were dead long before the killers found out that he kept all his money in a locked-down safe while he slept – and that they’d go home with a mere $150.

    Since all 3 burglars were caught, 5 lives ended that day, and all for only $150.

  10. Jack – for quick water storage acquisition in a suburban house with moderate storage, what are your thoughts on getting a handful of those five gallon water bottles and a cheapo table top dispenser? It’s not the most cost effective, but time is limited right now, and it’s easy to just grab a bottle when I run out to home Depot or Lowe’s. Thanks!

    • Additional info – I have a 10000 gal swimming pool, am buying and stacking quite a few cases of regular bottled water, and we likely wouldn’t shelter in place if significant disaster came and we could get out. This would be to get through the more likely scenarios of power outages, ice storms, etc. of a few weeks here, maybe a month if it was really bad (this house is not defensible under SHTF scenarios).

      Also, could you maybe post a photo of which AZ tea bottles you’re referring to?

      Thanks again!

  11. Just a suggestion on your gas can rotation idea. When your starting buy gas cans and filling them instead of starting with #1 start with the month your in.. For instance the first can you buy and fill this month is can #10.. Seems like it would help some people keep track of which can to cycle that month.